title: Updates in growth hormone treatment and mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the literature with regard to mortality in patients with hypopituitarism with a focus on the role of growth hormone (GH) deficiency and therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mortality is increased in hypopituitarism, particularly in female patients. In recent years mortality rates appear to be trending downwards towards that of the general population. Recent studies from retrospective or postmarketing surveillance studies have suggested that patients who receive GH therapy may not have increased mortality. Recent studies regarding mortality in paediatric patients treated with GH are conflicting and this area needs further study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are several important limitations of available data regarding mortality in hypopituitarism and even more so in the impact of GH therapy, which need to be taken into account when interpreting the available data. The data regarding mortality in patients treated with GH as children is an area of much debate and will need further studies to clarify, given the conflicting reports in recent studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.mark.sherlock@amnch.ie
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone